William Burkitt Notes and Observations - Hebrews 13:3 - 13:3

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William Burkitt Notes and Observations - Hebrews 13:3 - 13:3


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

Hospitality towards strangers was expressed in the forgoing verse; here, compassion towards sufferers, such as are captives, prisoners in bonds, either upon a religious or civil account.

Here note, 1. That bodily bondage is a bitter bondage; captivity is a most grievous calamity.

2. That we are very prone to forget other's captivity, when we ourselves are in prosperity.

3. That such as are in bonds for Christ's sake especially, and his holy gospel, ought particularly to be remembered by us, they are and ought to be the peculiar objects of our compassion; although, considering the cause in which they suffer; it is better, and more honourable, to be in bonds for Christ, than to be at liberty with a raging persecuting world; for bonds and imprisonments for the truth, were consecrated to God, and made honourable by the bonds and imprisonment of Christ himself, and commended to the church in all ages, by the bonds and imprisonments of the apostles, and the primitive witnesses to Christianity.

Note farther, How we are to be mindful of them, and in what manner, by visiting of them, administering to them, sympathizing with them, praying for them, and all this as bound with them, which implies and act of union, as members of the same mystical body, and suffering in and for the same common cause; remember them that are in bonds, \as bound with them; it follows, and those that suffer adversity, as being in the body.

This implies, that there are many kinds of afflictions besides bonds; that we are prone to forget those who suffer lighter and lesser afflictions; if they be not in bonds, we are ready to forget them, thought they suffer much adversity; but the command is more general, to remember all that are in any kind of adversity, whether they suffer in body, name, or estate, by sickness, pain, losses, reproaches, or any kind of calamity; the professors of religion are exempted from no sorts of adversity, and under ever kind of it we must remember them, and sympathize with them, because we ourselves are in the body with them; that is, say some, we are members of the same mystical body with them, and therefore when one member suffers, all the members are to suffer with it. Yourselves are in the body; that is say others, in the same state of natural life, subject and obnoxious to the same sufferings, and within the reach of the same adversities.

Learn hence, That a sense of our own being continually obnoxious unto sufferings during this life, ought to incline our minds to a diligent consideration of others in their sufferings, so as to discharge all duties of love and helpfulness towards them, as an evidence of our interest in the same mystical body with them, and as a ground of just expectation of the like relief and compassion from them; Remember them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.